Tots TV
| Tots TV | |
|---|---|
 Tilly, Tom and Tiny outside their secret house. | |
| Developed by | Ragdoll Productions |
| Starring |
Claire Carre Veronique Deroulede Alexandra Hogg Andrew Davenport Robin Stevens |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English, French, Spanish |
| No. of episodes | 276[1] |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10-25 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Ragdoll Productions Central Independent Television |
| Distributor |
ITV Studios DHX Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 4 January 1993 – 27 April 1998 |
Tots TV is a British children's television programme, produced by Ragdoll Productions and Central.
Characters
The programme featured three ragdoll friends: Tilly, a French girl, with red hair and white skin, who speaks in basic French (changed to English in French broadcasts), Tom, a blue-haired boy with dark skin and glasses, and Tiny, the youngest Tot, who is smaller than the others and has green hair and white skin. It also featured their pet Donkey who lived in a stable next to the tots' secret house and a mischievous little dog named Furryboo that the tots never knew about.
Broadcast
Tots TV was written by two of its puppeteers, Robin Stevens (Tom) and Andrew Davenport (Tiny). Tilly was played by three actresses – initially Véronique Deroulede, then Claire Carre and Alexandra Hogg. The series won two BAFTA awards for its producer Anne Wood and director Vic Finch. Originally broadcast in the UK on the ITV network (as part of CITV), CBeebies, the BBC's television channel for young children, picked up the series from 2004, where it first aired on the BBC Two block as well as the CBeebies channel, on the 19 April.[1]
The Series was also broadcast in the United States on the PBS network from 1996 with Tilly speaking Spanish, instead of French.[2] In 2000 Discovery Kids broadcast the series throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Falkland Islands.[3]
Specials
A number of special episodes of the series were produced for both television and VHS release, including a short series of episodes set in the United States of America, a 'Big Treasure Adventure' set on a pirate ship and several Christmas specials, including one filmed in Rovaniemi, Finland.
A series of educational Tots Video specials released by VCI in 1997 (later re-released by Carlton in 2000) included hour-long episodes based on the alphabet, numbers, animals and basic French.
VHS releases
| VHS Title | Release Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Tots TV - Camel and Other Stories (VC1299) | 1993 | Camel, Beach, Fox |
| Tots TV - Hedgehog and Other Stories (VC1300) | 1993 | Trains, Hedgehog, Dress |
| Tots TV - Owl and Other Stories (VC1303) | 1993 | Bike Ride, Owl, Donkey Ride |
| Tots TV - Peacock and Other Stories (VC1307) | 1993 | Peacock, Bus Ride, Rabbit |
| Tots TV - Elephant and Other Stories (VC1313) | 1993 | Horse, Baby Party, Elephant |
| Tots TV - Apple Picking and Other Stories (VC1315) | 1993 | Apple Picking, Kittens, Playground |
| Tots TV - Dog and Other Stories (VC1322) | 1994 | Woodlouse, Cars, Dog |
| Tots TV - Roller Skating and Other Stories (VC1323) | 1994 | Lemur, Roller Skating, Snail |
| Tots TV - Giraffe and Other Stories (VC1324) | 1994 | Rockpool, Giraffe, Dentist |
| Tots TV - Wiggly Worms and Other Stories (VC1325) | 1994 | How Does Your Garden Grow?, Wiggly Worms, Cleaning Windows |
| Tots TV - Windy Day and Other Stories (VC1327) | 1994 | Penguin, Windy Day, The Hungry Nanny Goat |
| Tots TV Bumper Special - Bike Ride and Other Stories (VC1361) | 3 October 1994 | Dress, Bike Ride, Donkey Ride, Peacock, Cars, Dog |
| Tots TV - The Funny Noises Band and Other Stories (VC1384) | 1995 | Mountain Climbing, The Funny Noises Band, Tiny's Storybook (Little Red Car), Fluffy Little Chicks, Dressing Up, Bubbles |
- Out to Sea and other stories
(Splashing in the Pool, Hippo in the Garden, Colours, Out to Sea, Tiny's Storybook, Bananas, Parcels)
- Sticky Disasters and other stories
(Sticky Disasters, A Watery Surprise, Trouble in the Bathroom, Washing the Car, Blowing Bubbles, Big Banana Tom)
- Lost Teddy and other stories
(Lost Teddy, Lost Button, The Vegetable Nibbler, A Very Clever Monkey, The Disappearing Trousers, Cable Car, Where is That Phone?)
- Magical Secrets and other stories
(Magical Secrets, Tots In A Box, Magic In The Woods, Magic Balloons, Music Factory, Magical Night Time Garden, Secret Treasure Map)
- Donkey Ride and other stories
(Donkey Ride, At the Airport, Tiny's Storybook, Undersea Adventure, It's Only Thunder, Safety on the Beach, Fun on the Beach, Donkey Cake, Watering the Garden, Ants, Naughty Little Fly, Melon Cheese, Rainy Day, Koala)
- Secret Magic Parcels and other stories
(The Secret Magic Parcels, Fishes, A Noisy Surprise, Tom's Storybook, Looking in the Mirror, Feeding the Calves)
- Fluffy Little Chicks and other stories
(Fluffy Little Chicks, It's a Cockerel, Milking a Cow, Raspberry Picking, Tom's Storybook, A Pool for the Ducks)
- Super Tiny and other stories
(Super Tiny, Laundrette, King of the Castle, Tom's Storybook, Naughty Mysterious Person, Iguana)
- Flying High and other stories
(Flying High, Tom's Storybook, The Village Band, Sticky Surprise, Tilly's Storybook, Sea Lions, Three Little Pigs, Doctor, Tiny's Storybook, A Special Party Cake)
- A Painting Surprise and other stories
(Lost In the Supermarket, Tilly's Storybook, Tiny Leaves Home, The Naughty Little Pig, A Sticky Mess, A Painting Surprise)
- The Runaway Horse and other stories
(The Runaway Horse, Tiny's Storybook, A Doughy Squeezy Surprise, Sausage Surprise, A Rainy Day, Sandcastles)
- The Lighthouse and other stories
(The Lighthouse, Party Time, Tom's Storybook, Blowing Games, Song Window, Flamingoes)
- Hopping Day and other stories
(Sheep, Boing Boing, Tilly's Storybook, All Fall Down, Naughty Old Ball, Hopping Day)
- Birthday Surprise and other stories
(Birthday Surprise, Dress, Peacock)
- Cuddly Bunnies and other stories
(Cuddly Bunnies, Splish Splash Splosh, New Shoes, Spring Cleaning, Chinchilla, Smart Day, Flower Friend)
- Naughty Puppies and other stories
(The Naughty Puppies, Tom's Storybook, Accidents Will Happen, The Dirty Old Boat, Watering the Garden, A Watery Surprise)
- Hamster and other stories
(The Happy Hamster, Squashed Donkey, Guide Dog, Animal Concert, The Funny Furry Otter, A Cat Called Brian, Zebras)
- Penguins and other stories
(Penguin, Windy Day, The Hungry Nanny Goat, How Does Your Garden Grow, Wiggly Worms, Cleaning Windows)
- Wobbly Jellies and other stories
(Wobbly Jellies, Feeding the Ducks, Tom's Fast Food Takeaway, A Special Cake, Tom's Storybook, Baking Bread, Hippo)
- Kittens and other stories
(Apple Picking, Kittens, Playground, Horse, Baby Party, Elephant)
- Dentist and other stories
(Dentist, Owl, Rockpool)
- Camping and other stories
(Camping, Painting, Lovely Old Toad, The Big Wheel, Tom's Storybook, Balancing Surprise, Donkey Goes Missing, Paper Boats)
- At the Beach and other stories
(At the Beach, Trains, Rockpool, Owl, Dentist, Hedgehog)
- Boing Boing and other stories
(Boing Boing, Lemur, Jumping Up and Down, Hopping Day)
- Naughty Little Pigs and other stories
(Naughty Little Pigs, Sheep, Feeding the Calves, Three Little Pigs)
- Tiny Leaves Home and other stories
(Tiny Leaves Home, Lost in the Supermarket, Dressing Up)
- Mountain Climbing and other stories
(Mountain Climbing, Tom's Storybook, Out to Sea)
- Fox and other stories
(Fox, Roller-Skating, Camel, Giraffe, Snail, Woodlouse)
- Bubbles and other stories
(Episodes Unknown)
- Fishes and other stories
(Fishes, Tom's Storybook, Looking in the Mirror)
- Sing Song Adventures
(Furry Beat, Tom's Trumpet, Disco Machine, Grand Old Duke of York, Tom Sings La La La, Old McTom, Tilly's Flute)
- Snowy Adventure
(60 Minute Special)
- Bedtime Stories
(Bedtime Stories, Bath, Far Away Star, Street Lamps, Night Time Teddy Adventure, Fun with Shadows, Time for Bed)
- Summer Holiday Adventures
(Afternoon Adventure, Watching the Dolphins, Building a Playhouse, The Loch Ness Monster, Jumping Kangaroos, King of the Castle, Little Boats Big Boats)
- Seaside Holiday Fun
(At the Beach, Donkey Ride, Rockpool)
- Zoo Animals
(Camel, Elephant, Giraffe)
- Furry Friends
(Little Kittens, Cuddly Bunnies, A Happy Dog)
DVD
- Birthday Surprise and other stories - (3 Episodes)
- Naughty Little Puppies and other stories - (6 Episodes)
- Snowy Adventure - (60 Minute Special + 2 Bonus Episodes)
Special releases
In 1997, four special VHS tapes were released under the name Tots Video. The four titles were re-released by Carlton Video in 2000 with the same titles. The four titles were:
- Tilly, Tom and Tiny's Animal Adventures
- Tilly, Tom and Tiny's A,B,C
- Tilly, Tom and Tiny's Fun with French
- Tilly, Tom and Tiny's 1,2,3
References
- 1 2 "Ragdoll Story". Ragdoll.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ↑ "PBS Premieres New Episodes of 'Tots TV' and 'Teletubbies'. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
- ↑ 21 July 2000 (2000-07-21). "Ragdoll has licensed Tots TV to Discovery Kids for broadcast through Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Falkland Islands, writes Georgina Lipscomb. The Itsy Bity Entertainment Company, R | News | Broadcast". Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-20.